Whales have intrigued us for millenia. They are among the
largest, most intelligent, deepest diving species to have ever
lived on our planet. They evolved from land-roaming ancestors,
and today can grow to 300,000 pounds, live 200 years, and travel
entire ocean basins. Whales fill us with awe, terror, and
affection -- we have even inscribed their song on interstellar
spacecraft -- but because they live 99% of their lives
underwater, they remain mysteries to us. My talk will pull from
stories in my book (SPYING ON WHALES), featuring recent and
forthcoming research from the frontlines of science discovery
about whales. The book follows a three-part arc about whales,
first to reveal their evolutionary origins, then to figure out
their ecological role today, and then finally their future on
planet Earth in the age of humans. The stories will take place
from the halls of the Smithsonian’s peerless fossil collections,
to a frigid Icelandic whaling station, to the Atacama Desert
where my colleagues and I raced against time to document the
world’s richest fossil whale graveyard. I share how scientists
measure and collect whalebones, tag whales, and how new
technology, such as 3D printing and drones, place us firmly in
the golden age of whale science. Why and how did they evolve to
such enormous sizes? How did their ancestors return from land to
the sea? What do their lives tell us about our oceans and about
evolution as a whole? How have hundreds of years of whaling
affected their population, and what does climate change mean for
their survival? My talk will examine and tackle all of these
questions.

About the Speaker:

NICK PYENSON is curator of fossil marine mammals
at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural
History. As a paleontologist, his scientific research focuses on
the repeated and convergent evolution of marine life, including
many of the hallmark traits of iconic species such as sea
turtles, sea cows, and especially whales. His scientific
expeditions have taken him to every continent, combining
specimen-based research and anatomical investigations with
international mentorship and 3D digitization for museum
collections. This work has led to the discovery of a dozen new
species of fossil vertebrates, the richest fossil whale
graveyard on the planet, and an entirely new sensory organ in
living whales. His writing and scientific discoveries frequently
appear in the New York Times, the New Yorker, The Atlantic, the
Washington Post, National Geographic, Los Angeles Times, The
Economist, Popular Mechanics, USA Today, on the Today Show, and
also NPR, CBC, and the BBC. Along with the highest research
awards from the Smithsonian, he has also received a Presidential
Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers from the Obama
White House in 2017. The Pulitzer Prize winner E. O. Wilson
called his first book, SPYING ON WHALES (Viking, 2018), “the
best of science writing,” and a paperback edition will be
published by Penguin Press in 2019. Return to Schedule